


After Hours

by jen_miraculous



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Has a Crush on Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship/Love, Future Fic, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth Defeat, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Hugs, Hurt, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Idiots in Love, Kissing, LadyNoir - Freeform, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Love, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square Angst, One Shot, Post-Episode: s03 Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 2), Post-Hawk Moth Defeat, Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Relationship Reveal, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Sleep, Sleepovers, Sleepy Cuddles, Sweet, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:34:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28860381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jen_miraculous/pseuds/jen_miraculous
Summary: Chat Noir is silent. It's so unlike him, and it's even more unlike Ladybug to offer him comfort through her physical affection. A one-time cuddle becomes a daily occurrence after patrols, and she's starting to enjoy the extra time she's spending with her partner. At twenty-one years old, her feelings for Adrien aren't exactly gone, but there's something about Chat that draws her near.Meanwhile, Hawkmoth has disappeared.A hurt/comfort one-shot.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 19
Kudos: 313





	After Hours

When patrol ended that night, Ladybug still wasn't convinced by Chat Noir's week-long insistence that he was fine.

"Chat," she began, taking a tentative step toward him. He'd been quiet the entire night, and there was no response now. She didn't mind; she knew he wasn't ignoring her. Something was distracting him, and she was determined to figure it out. "Chat," she called again, and this time, he took notice of her.

He looked up at her, his ears pressed against his hair and his eyes swimming in exhaustion. It wasn't often Ladybug was worried about him—it wasn't necessary. He was the carefree one of the two. He never faltered. He always held a smile, even after the most brutal of Akumas.

But blue eyes flashed through her mind, planting seeds of doubt in her. At twenty-one, six years had passed since she'd rescued her partner from his Akuma, and she'd never forgotten the emptiness in his eyes since then.

So now, his blank stare worried her. All night long, lethargy replaced his usual fluidity, and his voice continuously lowered into near inaudibility. He even looked sick, like he might throw up over the rooftop at any moment if the wind swayed him a little too much.

"Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

Nothing came out of his mouth as he gaped at her, but he was clearly trying to tell her something. She lowered her gaze to his hands, which fumbled with his baton. When his face scrunched in pain and he turned his head away from her, Ladybug took quick steps toward him, catching him in time as he lowered himself to the ground, her following him. 

"Chat, what is it? What's wrong?" she asked, feeling her heartbeat quicken at the sight of her partner like this. He hid his face on the folded arms on his knees. The two were lucky that there hadn't been any Akumas recently. She couldn't imagine him fighting anything in his current and sudden vulnerability, so it was a miracle that Hawkmoth had been so lenient. Still, she would have preferred the familiar rhythm of easygoing banter during a battle or two to the silence that Chat now kept between them. He wouldn't say a word, so she resolved to wrap one arm around his waist and the other on top of his head, her fingers running through his hair.

He was warm against the bite of the winter night.

Seconds passed. Then minutes. A full hour. They sat like that for a while, neither trying nor willing to move. Realizing she might not get an answer out of him tonight, she lay her head on his shoulders and swirled more circles into his blond locks. 

"I'm here, Chaton."

A low sound vibrated between them at that, and both of them stilled until the purring subsided.

"I'm sorry," he said, burying his face deeper into his arms. If it were any other time, she might've snickered at the sound, but she couldn't bring herself to tease him when he was like this. Instead, she lay her forehead against his shoulder and shushed him.

"I don't mind. Just stay still, okay? I'll be here until you feel better. Always."

* * *

Two weeks had passed since any of Hawkmoth's attacks. Ladybug was starting to worry that he was planning something big, or at least trying to take them by surprise. Even more than that, though, she was worried about her partner. He'd never been so quiet in all the years they'd worked together, and he still had yet to explain what was going on that was making him so upset. She hated that he wouldn't tell her, and she'd worried that she'd done something to alienate him from her, but he was quick to dismiss that. She'd mentioned it once, and the look on his face was so incredulous that she knew it had to be something else, perhaps something from his civilian life.

Somehow, it was worse that it wasn't her fault. At least then, she could try to fix this problem, but she was at a loss with him like this.

She wondered if she was being selfish in not revealing their identities. Perhaps if they knew, she could be there for him and be a real friend to him, but the thought always rattled her. She couldn't put him in danger, not while Hawkmoth was incognito and unpredictable. Whatever had happened to Chat must have occurred behind the mask, and she hated that she couldn't soothe him as her powerful alter ego. She didn't realize how much his sunny aura had kept her grounded until she found her own mood slipping as she worried over him. She missed his laughter. She missed the ethereal glow in his emerald eyes. She hated to admit it, but she even missed his shameless flirting and silly nicknames. He still showed up to patrol, but his polite smiles never extended beyond professionalism.

Even so, the two had grown closer in different ways. 

Her hands had grown familiar with the mess of hair on his head, with the scent of his shampoo, with the fuzz on his black ears. His nose had found its place in the crook of her neck. His breath had matched the beat of her heart. His tail had memorized the curve of her waist.

They'd developed a wordless habit of curling up together on rooftops after patrol, and even though the quiet cuddles were intended for Chat, Ladybug soon admitted to herself that she needed them, too. They were the only thing that reminded her that he still wanted her close, even if he couldn't vocalize his burdens, and she was grateful that he allowed her to comfort him in some way. Despite Hawkmoth's absence, Ladybug had asked Chat for more patrols, and to her relief, he didn't object or ask questions. And so, they became a near-daily routine.

She was thankful their patrols always ended after sunset—the darkness of nighttime did well in hiding the inexplicable blushes that always followed Chat's purrs.

* * *

"Marinette?"

She wiped at her eyes, startled at having been caught by whoever had called her. She found a gorgeous pair of green eyes staring at her in worry, the same pair that had held her heart hostage since she was fifteen. However, she'd bid her feelings farewell a long time ago, and he had no business flustering her the way he still did. "Oh, Adrien. Hi."

"What's wrong?" he asked, reaching into his pocket to give her his handkerchief. She hesitated, but when she noticed the concern on his face, she knew better than to refuse it.

"Thank you," she said, wiping away the wetness on her cheeks. "Sorry, I, um-" What could she say? "It's nothing. Really."

"It doesn't look like nothing," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The two stood there for a moment as she stared at him, unsure of what to do. Her morning run along the Seine was usually vacant, so she hadn't expected to find Adrien of all people at this hour. The sun hadn't even broken from the horizon, but here he stood, tired and sweaty and somehow so ridiculously beautiful without any effort. The years had chiseled his once soft jaw into that of a man's, given him a foot more in height, and filled his once lanky body. He styled his hair into ruffled perfection that reminded her of the only other man who ever crossed her mind lately, and the comparison welled her eyes with tears once more. She returned her hands to the rails overseeing the river and exhaled.

"There's not much to talk about," she admitted. As she voiced the source of her distraught, she felt pathetic. "It's not even my problem, but I-I'm just overwhelmed lately."

"How so?"

"I have this friend. He's...he's important to me. He's always there for me, and I've never felt closer to anyone else the way I do with him. Even Alya," she said, side-glancing Adrien as the guilt settled.

"I won't tell her," he promised, offering a cheeky smile that consoled her for a split second. The feeling didn't last.

"Something's wrong. He won't tell me, and it's making me worried sick seeing him like this, and I feel so useless, and I-I-" The memory of her Chaton breaking down in her arms last night triggered her soft weeping. It was the first time he'd ever done that in the several years they'd known each other, and it was horrible enough to kill a part of her. 

Like the angel he was, Adrien didn't hesitate in wrapping his arms around her, not bothering to make a scene or ask her uncomfortable questions. He knew they were pointless. Ladybug never pushed him, and he wouldn't push his dear friend Marinette now if he could help it.

After high school had ended, the two had remained friends, often relying on each other when Alya and Nino got carried away with their relationship. Adrien had never found out about Marinette's enormous crush on him, and she refused to tell him now. After her feelings for him had subdued into something more subtle, like an ember burning but never quite stopping, the stutters ended, the heartache left, and their friendship flourished into something more genuine. Still, there was always a wall wedged between them, and neither knew how to navigate around it to each other. Even now, how could she tell him the extent of her pain for Chat without revealing herself as Ladybug?

After a few moments, Marinette pulled away from him, patting her face with the handkerchief. She couldn't bother herself with embarrassment at this point. Adrien was gentle and understanding, and there was no need to feign strength around him when he'd never judge her. A few shaky breaths later, she faced him once more.

"I want to be a better friend. I want to help him without forcing him to tell me his secrets. I want him to be happy, but I just don't know how to make that happen."

Adrien stared at her, dazed as if her words meant something to him, but before she could think on it more, his perfect smile returned. She knew it was fake, but she also knew Adrien immediately shut off his own emotions when asked. It reminded her of someone else. "If I know you well, and I think I do, I know that you're already the very best friend he could have. I doubt he will keep to himself much longer if he has a friend like you that clearly cares for him."

Her cheeks reddened at that, and she looked at the ground beneath her. "Yeah. I guess I do care for him."

"Then he's lucky. Maybe the luckiest guy in the world. Do I know him?"

"No." She chuckled, but there was no humor in the sound. "But you'd like him. He's a lot like you."

* * *

"My Lady," Chat said to her one day, a month since the last Akuma attack.

She thought she'd heard him wrong at first, but as the seconds ticked and she met his nervous gaze, Ladybug's heart swelled at the nickname she hadn't heard in weeks. She would have jumped with joy had his head not been lying in her lap, and she somehow succeeded in hiding her smile from him.

"Chaton." She loved the sound of his name on her tongue. She could murmur it to him forever if he'd only ask her. In fact, she imagined he could ask her anything lately. Her soft spot for Chat had consumed her every second of every day, and her heart had made room for it to grow.

"I'm so sorry," he said, cutting her thoughts short and pulling himself up to sit beside her. Her previous felicity disappeared as he rested his baton on his lap, his face grave. He transferred it between his hands as if touching it burned him. "I haven't told you something. I've been keeping it from you."

"What do you mean? Keeping what?"

"I—sorry," he mumbled again. His eyes shut like a vault, and that was all it took for her to kneel between his legs in front of him, reaching for him. Ladybug had no idea to what he referred, but she knew she'd forgive him. She wrapped her arms around him in a familiar embrace, and after a moment's hesitation, he pulled her close as if she would disappear. She thought she could melt against him.

"Hey," she whispered into his neck. "Everything's okay. I'm here."

Still, her chest panged with terror. Why was he sorry? He'd done everything right as far as she'd been concerned, and she didn't want him to feel otherwise. It's not like he could even critique his performance during battles—there were none. Hawkmoth had seemingly left without a trace. Was it even worth hiding her identity from Chat anymore? She wanted to bring it up, but he spoke before she had the chance.

"You're going to hate me."

She was dumbfounded and unnerved, but she eventually managed to press a kiss against his shoulder. "I could never hate you, Kitty." His breathing pattern changed into something ragged, and he pushed her away from him gently, reluctant. She saw the pain he'd held for weeks, pooling over the brink like a dam. "Chaton, you're scaring me."

"I'm sorry." He grabbed the baton he had set aside when hugging her, and she didn't miss the way his hands shook as he pressed a button that opened a secret compartment. His eyes flickered to hers for a brief second, and then he reached out and produced something in his palm.

A purple brooch.

A butterfly.

A Miraculous.

Ladybug didn't understand. The image didn't process, no matter how she looked at it, and all she could do was stare at Chat with a mixture of shock and betrayal. At some point, she jerked backward, landing on her bum, and she ignored the pain as she backed away from him.

"Ladybug-"

"Don't come any closer," she said, her voice cracking. She hated how weak she sounded.

He didn't listen and crawled toward her, anyway, clutching the brooch in one hand. "Milady, please listen-"

"I said don't come any closer, and don't you dare call me that right now." Her heart broke as his face fell, but it didn't overwhelm the horrible tsunami crashing inside of her and drowning every coherent thought. He slouched on his knees, no longer meeting the horror in her eyes. "Where did you—why do you-"

"Hawkmoth gave it to me," he said simply. "I found out his identity, he told me about his plan, and then...he gave it to me."

Ladybug huffed in disbelief. She snatched the jewel in his hand and examined it, feeling her breaths thin. "What do you mean he just gave it to you? He's been terrorizing Paris for years! Why would he suddenly hand it over the moment you figure out who he is?"

His eyebrows furrowed together, and she knew then she wouldn't quite believe whatever he'd say. "He just did."

"Why did he want our Miraculous?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?" she asked, unable to hide the hurt in her words. He'd always been an open book with her, and he chose now to hide the most important thing to know? The reason they had even met? "I'm the Guardian and your partner. I have more of a right to know about this than anyone else. More importantly, I'm your friend, Chat Noir. We trust each other. That's our thing. Why can't you-"

"I can't," he interrupted her. He sounded strangled. "It would give away his identity."

She almost laughed. "Oh, so you're not going to tell me his identity, either? How can you keep this from me? How dare you?" Realization dawned on her then. She jumped up from her spot and clasped her hands over her mouth. "The Akumas. That's why we—you've known. You've known this whole time, and you didn't tell me. You didn't trust me. You didn't trust me!"

"I was scared!" he said, lifting himself from the ground. He tried reaching for Ladybug's shoulders, but she took a hostile step backward. 

"Of what? I would've been delighted! I would've given you the biggest hug! We might've even known each other's identities by now, Chaton," she said, her tone softening at the thought. Its edge returned as she watched his face contort in agony. "I don't understand why you've been so upset for a month. We've waited for this for years. What's the problem?"

He didn't answer, and her anger grew as explanations developed in her mind. 

"Did you think you'd never see me again?" she asked.

" _What?"_

 _"_ I don't see why else you would be upset and not tell me about defeating Hawkmoth. Did you think I'd call it a day and forget about you?"

He'd never glared at her like that before, and she shrunk beneath his scrutiny. "Do you really think so little of me? Do you think I think so little of _you_ that you'd disappear from my life after defeating him? It has nothing to do with us and everything to do with my relationship to Hawkmoth."

"Your _what_?"

"I know him as a civilian. I can't tell you who it is. It was the only way he would agree to give me his Miraculous."

Neither had noticed the snow beginning to fall, nor the way the temperature had dropped ten degrees since their patrol had begun. They were too consumed in their own heat, one in fury and the other in shame, and neither voiced their desire to forget everything and crawl into the other's arms. Ladybug itched for him, and it was the worst possible moment for her to realize the extent of her feelings for him. She had a job to do. A duty to herself, to Master Fu, to Paris.

Her throat constricted, and she hated the next few words that spilled from her mouth. "As Guardian of the Miraculous, I command that you tell me, or I'll have to take your ring."

She was bluffing. He knew that, and she knew that he knew that.

He took a step toward her and lifted a hand to her face, running his thumb over her cheekbone. "You don't want that," he murmured, so sure of himself, so confident. Her skin blossomed with warmth under his touch, and she tried looking down, but it was too late. He'd seen her lovesick expression. Surprise registered on his face, and he watched her for a moment, absorbing her undeniable affection for him. 

"Chaton," she said, laying her hand atop his. "Please. Please tell me everything. You need to trust me."

He seemed to consider it for a moment. The two gravitated toward each other, and she was finally within his reach, but both were too scared to advance. After an agonizing moment, he let go of her and extended his baton.

"I'm sorry, Ladybug. I have to go."

He left her there, standing alone on a rooftop, holding what should've been a symbol of ceremonious defeat against their mutual enemy but what now weighed a ton in her small hands.

* * *

He didn't show up to patrol the next day.

Nor once in the week that followed. 

After a month, Ladybug stopped waiting for him.

* * *

"Thanks for coming over," Marinette said to Adrien, handing him a cup of tea. He noticed the black cat painted onto the side of the white mug and wondered if she'd bought it like that or painted it herself. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to ask, but he hoped it was the latter. "Alya's been busy preparing for her engagement, and I really wanted some company tonight."

"You don't have to thank me. You know I love spending time with you," he said, pressing himself deeper into her couch. He never shied from making himself comfortable in her apartment anymore—not since he began frequenting it in the past few weeks. "Feeling down again?"

She considered lying to him, but he'd see right through that if she tried. "Yeah."

They often called each other under the pretenses of video game challenges and tea-time sessions, neither needing to delve into the reality that was their unspoken ache for each other. Often, being together was enough.

"I'm sorry." He shifted on the couch so she could sit beside him, and he couldn't ignore the flutter in his heart as her arms brushed against him. The sensation swirled its way into his heart. He wasn't an idiot. These hints of affection for Marinette resonated far too much with his feelings for Ladybug for him not to understand what they meant. "You're cold."

"Am I?" she asked, touching her arm. 

"Yes. You should've made yourself a cup, too," he scolded, handing her his tea and knowing she wouldn't refuse. "Here. Take a sip."

"You know I don't like sugar in my tea." Still, she took a sip, just to humor him before scrunching her nose and sticking out her tongue. "Bleh. Too sweet."

"Says the baker's daughter."

"Says the model who was always on a strict diet. What would your father say if he knew? He'd cancel my internship," she giggled, but she stopped when she realized his smile had left. Uh oh. "What is it?"

"It's nothing," he said, but she gave him a knowing look. "It's just..."

He hesitated, so she supplied the words for him. "Your dad?"

She didn't know the extent of his relationship with Gabriel Agreste, but she knew it wasn't good. Although she'd always admired the man from a professional standpoint and was grateful for the opportunity he'd given her through his brand, she resented him as a person for the way he hurt his son. He was cold, uncaring, and condescending. Adrien had never been good enough for him, and from what she'd gathered from Adrien's careful hints, Gabriel had broken their trust beyond reparation. She could only imagine what he did. They didn't talk anymore, and if they did need to communicate for whatever reason, Nathalie was their medium. It was depressing.

Concerned, Marinette reached for Adrien's hand, unaware of the blush forming on his face. "I'm here for you, Adrien. You know that. Always."

"Thank you," he said, but he still had a faraway look in his eyes. Trying to distract him, she raised his tea to his lips, cherishing the way he smiled against the rim and meeting his gaze a second too long for just friends. This was silly—this adamant burning inside of her. Marinette grabbed a folded blanket from beneath her coffee table and draped it over them, laying her legs over his and resting her head against his shoulder. It was their usual position whenever they searched for each other's comfort, and he dissolved under her within moments. The two shared the heat of his tea until they finished it, and then they settled deeper into each other for warmth.

Somehow, as the stars shifted into the Parisian sky and drowsiness settled between them, they ended up tangled on the couch in a desperate embrace, falling asleep together.

Again.

* * *

Marinette nearly jumped when she heard a tap coming from her balcony one night. 

An intruder? How did someone even manage to climb up there? She was on the fourth floor, and there was no way someone could've scaled the walls to her apartment, but she guessed it didn't matter because she wasn't scared, really. After all, she _was_ Ladybug. She grabbed the bat Nino had bought for her, just in case, he'd said, and she'd never been more grateful for his brotherly protectiveness. The sky was pitch-black, so it was difficult for her to see past the sliding door, but she almost fell to her knees when she saw the cat ears.

"Chat Noir," she said, letting him inside and almost forgetting she wasn't Ladybug at the moment. He was right in front of her again. Not in her daydreams, not in her diary, not in her memories, but here. It was torture looking at him and not being able to do more. She wanted to tell him so much, to burst into tears, to hold him, but she couldn't. Not as Marinette. Sure, a month was a long time for Ladybug to go without her partner, but Marinette was used to waiting months for Chat's occasional visits.

"Hey, Princess," he said, surprised when she didn't reply. He noticed the tightness in her muscles and the twisted expression on her face, and he suddenly felt bad for barging into her home, uninvited. Maybe she didn't want him there. "Oh, um, is this a bad time?"

Her eyebrows creased as if trying to process his words, and then she paled. "Oh, no! No, no, no," she said, taking hold of his arm as if he would leave at any moment. They both lowered their gazes to her hand, and she jerked back with a stiff grin. "Sorry, I—it's just been a long time." She looked flustered, and Chat wondered if her face felt as warm as it looked. He drew his hands behind his back.

"It hasn't been that long," he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "It's been a little over a month. I just wanted to catch up and see how you're doing."

"Where have you been?" she asked, a strange edge to her voice. The urgency in her question struck him odd, but he dismissed it. 

"I've been busy."

She looked like she wanted to say something, but she changed her mind. "So no more Akumas, huh? I've heard André Bourgeois has been waiting for you and Ladybug to give an official statement, but so far nothing."

Chat flinched. "Yeah."

"You're not patrolling anymore?"

"How do you know that?"

Marinette froze. "Oh, er—t-the Ladyblog! Alya's very observant, you know." There was nothing on the Ladyblog. Alya _had_ wanted to write about it, but she was too busy planning her wedding to focus on the superheroes. Marinette's excuse was a blatant lie, and Chat couldn't figure out its purpose.

"I see."

An awkwardness settled. It was unfamiliar to them, both in and out of the masks, and it weighed on them like thorns. Desperate for relief, Marinette broke the silence. "So, uh, what brings you here?"

"Can I be honest, Marinette?" The rushed words tumbled out of him like he'd been waiting for her to ask that. He didn't give her a chance to reply as he paced in front of her. "We didn't technically defeat Hawkmoth. Not exactly. He gave me his Miraculous, and I hid it from Ladybug, and I haven't seen her in a month, and I know she's been waiting for me, but I'm too much of a coward to face her, and I just miss her so goddamn much, and I hate myself for it, and-"

"Whoa!" she interrupted, overwhelmed by the sudden shift in conversation. She waited for him to drag his gaze to hers. "Hey, Chat Noir. Calm down."

"It's my father. He was Hawkmoth."

Marinette’s breath hitched. "W-what?"

Tears filled his eyes, but he covered them with his hands in shame. "He told me. He thought I was ready to learn the truth about him, about my mother. She was the original Peacock Miraculous holder, and it was damaged, and it—it took her life." Marinette could only stare at him, stunned. "That's why he wanted my ring. Somehow, I was able to convince him that there would be a great cost if he made his wish, and finally, _finally_ , he handed me his brooch. It was so simple."

"I don't understand," Marinette said. "Why haven't you told Ladybug?"

"Because I'm selfish. I didn't want him to go to jail. I've already lost my mom, and I didn't want to lose him. I also don't want her to think I'm useless. I'm Chat Noir, and I lived under the same roof as him for so long, and I had no idea it was him. All these years have been a waste of time. All the fighting, all the trauma, all the victims. It's all so stupid. I won’t even talk to him anymore, and I've still lost Ladybug and her trust because of him. I don't know what to do, Marinette. I'm so hopelessly in love, and I'm falling apart without her."

Marinette's heart felt like it was going to explode. "Chat, I-"

"God. I've said too much," he groaned, reaching for the sliding door before she had a chance to answer. His eyes were wild with pain. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bother you with this stuff. Forget everything I said."

"Chat, wait!" she called after him, but he was already bouncing away into the night. No, no, no. This was all wrong. She couldn't let him get away again! Not now. Not when he'd been in her grasp just moments ago, not when she was just about ready to reveal herself to him. She climbed the railing and jumped off her balcony in haste, lucky to have called her transformation right before she hit the ground.

Ladybug had never run so fast in her life. She jumped from rooftop to rooftop, searching for her partner, for the love of her life, but he was nowhere to be found. It was too dark for her to see clearly, and there were numerous times in which she almost slipped on the ice coating the roofs and streets below. She was so scared that she would never see him again, and the thought made her nauseous, but she didn't stop. She needed to find him. 

By the time she found Adrien alone walking on a vacant street, she was hysterical. He turned around at the call of his name, barely prepared to find Ladybug inches from him, tears rolling down her cheeks. "L-Ladybug?"

"Adrien! Have you seen Chat Noir?" she asked, leaning far too close for him to function. All he saw were the freckles dotting her face, putting the stars above to shame.

"I, uh-"

"Please," she cried, wiping at her face as if she meant to scrub it off. In her misery, she didn't notice his puffy eyes and raw cheeks. "He was just around here earlier. Please tell me you've seen him. Please."

He'd never seen her like this before, so broken, and he hated being the cause of it. How could he have ever thought he'd make her happy? He wanted to touch her. To apologize and tell her how much he loved her and how he would never leave her side, but he couldn't, so he lied. "I'm sorry. I don't think I have."

She deserved better than him and his cowardice. They stood there for an eternity as she sobbed to herself, radiating waves of her sadness into the partner she didn't know was standing right in front of her. When it was time for her to flee into the shadows, she didn't bother saying goodbye to him, and he didn't chase after her. He'd missed his final chance.

Adrien didn't move until the shrill of his cell phone rang, and Marinette's photo flashed on his screen.

He almost didn't answer.

"Mari?" he said at last. All he heard was the incessant crying on the other side of the call, and despite his pitiful night, he was already running toward her place. Anxiety spiked in his veins. She was the last ray of sunshine in his life, and he would take care of her as best he could. "Stay still," he told her. "I'm on the way."

Within minutes, they were in each other's arms as fate always had them. He'd slipped into her apartment using the spare key she'd given him, finding her curled into the couch, clutching a pillow like it was her lifeline. It was discarded the moment he slipped beside her, pulling his stammering mess of incoherence and distress into his lap.

"What happened?" he asked after a few minutes of rubbing her back. "Why are you crying?"

"He's gone," she whispered when she finally regained her voice. "He's gone, and it's my fault, and...and-"

"Who's gone?"

"My friend. He's gone. I wasn't fast enough," she said, breaking apart once more. Adrien raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was talking about, considering he had just visited her in his own emotional turmoil minutes ago. She couldn't possibly be talking about- "Chat. He's gone."

"C-Chat Noir?"

Marinette nodded against him, clutching his shirt in her small fists. Her tears soaked into his shoulder. "I can't do this anymore. I need to talk to him."

"What do you mean?" he managed to ask. His head was spinning with questions. Why did she care so much about his alter ego? Since when were they close enough that she had become inconsolable over him? "Marinette. What are you talking about? Why do you need to talk to him?"

She was being cryptic, and for once, he needed to know exactly what she meant. "I messed up. For an entire month, I thought I was exactly what he needed, but then he confessed, and I was awful to him, and he deserved so much better, and now he's gone," she rambled, making not a bit of sense. What did Chat confess to Marinette? What had they been doing for a month? Why was she crying over him? It puzzled him.

Until it didn't.

He pulled away from her, holding her by the shoulders and searching those large, oceanic eyes of hers. Of course, they were blue. His favorite shade of blue. _Her_ shade of blue. They stared back at him as she tried to understand the sudden intensity in his face. It made her nervous.

"Adrien?"

"It's you," he murmured, letting the truth settle into his bones with more certainty. Yes. It was her. Her freckles were right there. Now that he saw it, no one else made sense. Twice he'd fallen for the same girl, and the feeling was too rich to him to contain it to himself. "My Lady."

Her breathing stopped. It couldn't be. No way. Chat was Chat, and Adrien was...

He was...

The longer she looked at him, the more the two men merged into each other like stars colliding into something brighter. The eyes, the parallel timelines, the love she had for both. It just couldn't be this easy. Months of pining and years of unrequited affection between the two of them, and he was right there the entire time. 

Almost aggressively, she took his face between her hands, studying him like his every movement held the weight of a thousand truths. She traced the widening laugh lines on his face, studied the shade of green, pressed her nose behind his ear. Inhaled his familiar shampoo.

"...Chaton?"

A kiss on her shoulder. "I've missed you."

She pounced him, sinking his back into the couch and following right after him.

"Chaton," she cried, her arms wrapped around him and her nose buried in his hair. "My Chaton. My sweet kitty."

He could listen to her say that all night. Plagg and Tikki took this as their cue to leave—not that their chosens noticed—and hid in Marinette's room as the two heroes unraveled in each other's arms. "I'm here, My Lady. It's me."

"I missed you, you absolute idiot. You dumb cat. My stupid stray."

For some reason, her insults made him laugh against the tears, and he pulled her even closer. "I missed you, too, Lovebug."

"You left," she said, and he almost hated that she didn't sound angry. Just hurt. She lifted her head to look at him. "I waited for you. I thought I'd never see you again."

"I know."

Her lip quivered. "I was so scared."

"I know. I know. I'm so sorry. I hurt you, and I'm sorry it ever happened."

The two were a mess.

"Adrien."

"Marinette."

She lowered her forehead to his, and he felt her eyebrows furrow against him. "Chaton. I'm so sorry about your father. I had no idea."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not."

"It is," he insisted. Adrien raised them so that he was sitting once more, his waist between Marinette's legs. He lifted a hand to her face. "I'm sorry I kept it from you. I was selfish."

Marinette drew his forehead to hers, desperate to reassure him otherwise. "No, you're not. I understand, and it's okay. I can't imagine what it was like for you to go through this all on your own, so I should be apologizing. I reacted so poorly when you told me, and I'm so, so sorry. I trust you handled it well enough that we don't need to go to the authorities. Everything's okay, Adrien. I promise."

"I love you," he blurted then. He wasn't even embarrassed despite the blush reddening his skin.

"Chat-"

"I do. I've loved you for years. I love you." He thought back to the cuddles after patrol, the sleepovers in her apartment, the hugs, the glances, the everything and anything in between. All this time. Marinette. He leaned into her, nuzzling his nose against her, his breath sweeping over her skin, and she could almost feel his smile against her. "You love me."

He wasn't teasing her—wouldn't even dream of it right now. It was simply the truth, and she was happy that he knew. 

"I do," she whispered. She pressed a gentle kiss against him, murmuring as she did. "I'm happy it's you."

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed this one-shot of our favorite romantic duo. I've never written one before, so I hope the pacing was okay, but I was really excited about sharing it with you all. Let me know what you think!


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